Liston Group

Liston Group
Liston Group
Adrian Liston
Honorary Group Leader
Liston Group

Research Summary

The Liston laboratory works on regulatory T cells. These are a type of white blood cell that act to suppress the rest of the immune response, preventing spontaneous autoimmune disease and acting as a rheostat to control just how active our immune system is. The number of these cells in our blood goes up as we get old, which may contribute to the immune-suppressed state of older persons. We seek to understand these cells, using both patient material and mouse models, so that we can harness their power to fine-tune the immune system for healthy ageing.
 

Latest Publications

Pasciuto E, Liston A Immunology

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+view abstract Nature immunology, PMID: 40790371

Guillaume SM, Carslaw HA, Innocentin S, Webb LMC, Liston A, Foster WS, Linterman MA Immunology

T follicular helper (T) cells are a helper T-cell subset that is defined by their localisation to B-cell areas of secondary lymphoid tissues, enabling them to provide their B-cell helper function. Precursors of T cells migrate to the B-cell follicles by upregulating CXCR5 and downregulating CCR7, a process that can be blocked by S1PR1 overexpression. T cells and their precursors also express the early activation antigen CD69, which is a negative regulator of S1PR1. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that CD69 expression by T cells is important for their differentiation and localisation after immunization. Genetic deletion of CD69 on T cells and a proportion of their precursors did not alter their formation, nor their ability to support high-affinity B-cell responses. This demonstrates that although CD69 is expressed highly on T cells, it is not necessary for their formation or their B-cell helper functions in lymph nodes (LNs).

+view abstract Immunology and cell biology, PMID: 40760793

Gemander N, Neumann J, Veiga R, Etienne I, Prezzemolo T, Kemlin D, Pannus P, Depickère S, Olislagers V, Vu Duc I, Waegemans A, Gerbaux M, Bücken L, Dahma H, Martin C, Dauby N, Goossens ME, Desombere I, Roca CP, Willemsen M, Goriely S, Le Moine A, Marchant A, Liston A, Humblet-Baron S Immunology

Solid-organ transplant (SOT) recipients are at enhanced risk of infection and to poorly respond to vaccination due to comorbidities and immunosuppression. We performed a systems vaccinology study in 59 kidney and 31 lung transplant recipients who received 3 doses of COVID-19 mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine. We were able to characterize a baseline configuration associated with an effective humoral response to 3 doses, characterized by an innate and activated B cell profile, whereas a T cell signature was associated with a poorer response. We observed a distinct configuration associated with a detectable humoral response to 2 doses, partly mediated by double negative B cell subsets. These results suggest that, despite their immunosuppression, some SOT recipients can induce an effective humoral response to 3 doses of vaccine supported by a baseline configuration close to the healthy phenotype. Baseline immune phenotyping may help identify SOT recipients at the greatest risk of a poor vaccine response.

+view abstract NPJ vaccines, PMID: 40593765

Group Members

Adrian Liston

Honorary Group Leader

Magda Ali

Visiting PhD Student

Oliver Burton

Visiting Scientist

James Dooley

Visiting Scientist

Omar Shabana

Visiting Student